On the Losing Side
by ChocolateAntelope
Summary: Everyone who has won a Fire Emblem game knows what it's like to command the winner's army. But what's it like for the other side? (This story can mostly fit FE 6, 7, 8, 9/10, 13.) Story is shorter than it appears.


Author's Note: Assume everyone is promoted at this point.

Also, admittedly, I wasn't trying very hard when I wrote this. You can tell when you read it. :P

oooooooooo

Just as the reports said, their "army" was nothing more than a ragtag bunch with some pompous lordling in command. They couldn't even afford matching uniforms. I laughed. I had already placed about thirty troops on the field, holding back even more reinforcements I had at the ready. For every one of them, there were four of us.

I stayed back, guarding the gate. From here, I had view of the entire battlefield, and I could defend the gate, which I was told that under NO circumstances should the enemy seize.

To my mild surprise, their blue-garbed commander started the offensive. Typical of these nobles. The two paladins, one clad in red armor and the other in green, charge ahead on the plains targeting a sage. I smiled. If there was one thing I could count on about these weak sages, it was that they were quite adequate at dodging. Or so I thought.

To my utter shock, the green paladin was both fast and skillful, enough to score a hit. The sage collapsed before he could even begin chanting, first blood spilling onto the soil. The red paladin already easily finished up on killing a nearby warrior.

Fortunately, those were the only casualties. The others couldn't reach my forces. Excellent. They had just wandered into the range of my troops.

I first ordered a bishop to cast Sleep on an unsuspecting wyvern lord. This bishop, obviously more competent than my other units, managed to successfully cast it. The wyvern lord was sound asleep in mere moments. I then directed a General, three warriors, and a paladin- everyone close enough to reach- to a hapless sage.

To my horror, troop after troop fell to his magic, and only one had even managed to land a hit! It wasn't enough to end his miserable life though, and the sage dispatched him as well. I moved a few more units up, but no more. I had severely underestimated them earlier, and I could not afford to lose anymore soldiers to them.

"You there! Send some reinforcements up to the south," I barked at some nearby falcoknight. If I could get my soldiers to surround them all, they'd be done for, and I could keep my head on my shoulders for another day.

The enemy was on the move again. A long-haired, blonde cleric- no wait, was that _man_?- approached the sage and healed any damage those soldiers had sacrificed their lives for. Likewise, a Valkyrie trotted up to the wyvern lord and restored him of his ailment. Curses!

Their forces split up into little pairs, though they cut down soldiers with such ease that I was starting to believe each of their soldiers were imbued with the strength of ten men! Oddly, there seemed to be a figure in the back, well defended by their soldiers, that seemed to be flitting about and... Dancing, perhaps? Singing? After this, people who were panting in exhaustion one moment ago were suddenly rejuvenated and on the move again the next moment. I have never seen anything like it. Why doesn't this army have anyone like that?

No matter. I have my own secret weapon they have no hope of escaping: ballista! Unfortunately for them, they had just meandered unknowingly into the range of this super weapon.

I yelled at the bishop to use the Sleep spell again. With shaking hands, he aimed for the same wyvern lord as before. This time, another wyvern lord was nearby, and she shouted out a warning. He dodged the spell. They cheered and started... Conversing. In the middle of battle! Were they mocking me? Perhaps I had underestimated the power of friendship these two had... Grrrr. I had all my forces rush this pair. If I even only killed one of them, their bond would break, and the fight was as good as mine.

Of course, they'd have to overcome their bond first to kill them. It was stunning. The way this pair dodged better when their friend was nearby, they way their attacks were more ferocious, they way they they supported each other... My forces, undivided, were no match for them.

Shrill shrieks sounded the air, drowning out the sounds of battle on the ground. Pegasi screamed as they were picked off one by one, arrows sprouting from their chests and wings. Their riders were thrown off, bones crunching as they plummeted to the hard ground below. And the cause of the commotion? It was a green haired sniper. And a child.

I ordered the sniper to train the ballista on their leader, the blue-clad one wielding a strange, unique sword I had never seen before in my life. I paled. Was it... Possibly it same sword spoken of only in legends and myths? After witnessing their might and tactical prowess, I could believe they managed to attain this sacred sword.

_Don't miss don't miss don't miss, _I thought. Though I was a general, with armor thicker than any weapon could even hope to sunder, my very life could very well depend on whether it strikes the commander or not. And of course it missed.

I was beginning to despair. How would I ever defeat even a single member of their troop? Ah, finally! About time the reinforcements arrived! All hope is not lost.

Yet, their commander simply shouted for them to keep advancing, and left behind only two people, a swordmaster and the sage, to deal with the reinforcements. Fool... Was he trying to get them killed? I would enjoy beating down this lordling's arrogance.

The reinforcements all targeted the swordmaster. One particular time, after the swordsman dodged (yawning all the while), he raised his sword, deadly slow, and with speed that rivaled that of a lightning bolt, struck the enemy _CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!_ so fast and forcefully I could hear the shattering of armor from this distance. Needless to say, his target did not survive.

I knew what that skill was. A skill feared by all who met eyes with a swordmaster. Astra. Only those very skilled, those who had been following the sword their entire lives had a slim chance of learning this skill. I would have to be very wary of him, but it also begs the question _If he can do that, what can the others do?_ As I pondered this, the two made quick work of my last reinforcements. They even sent a thief in to steal something, a vulnerably perhaps.

"Sleep!" I thundered to the bishop. His shaking hands and words- curse him!- failed to cast the spell upon the enemy. With that, the light in the orb of the staff dimmed, and the staff was completely useless, as well as the bishop.

"Ballista!" I shouted to the sniper. He missed as well, the bolt striking the ground at least five feet away from the nearest target. I had half a mind right now to leave my post and slaughter these two imbeciles myself, but unfortunately, a girl beat me to it. She was weaponless, save for a small peculiar stone in her hand. Suddenly, squeezing the stone tight in her hand, she transformed into a dragon! With her flame breath, she burned the poor sniper into a crisp. They have shape-shifters at their sides?

Any thought of this dragon girl left my mind as their leader suddenly approached me. Had they already reached me? How could they be that fast?

I looked down at his shoes through the visor of my helmet. He appeared to be wearing boots... over his boots. Was this a fashion trend of the nobles? Did wearing two pairs of boots help him travel farther? Were his feet sweaty?

_I suppose I should say something vaguely evil and intimidating right about now_. "Mwahaha," I tried to cackle evilly. "Do you think you pose a challenge to me? You shall all fall beneath my might!"

"Not a chance. The just and righteous shall always prevail over evil. You won't even slow me down," he replied. With that, he rushed me.

"Argg!" I groaned as he loosed two strong slashes- that strange sword of his was definitely special; it cut through my armor with such ease! Luckily, I had the power of... The weapon triangle! I lunged forward, thrusting my spear, and skewered... Empty air? Curse him for dodging!

Soon others caught up and joined him in fighting me. With several people fighting me all at once, it wasn't even a contest. As I fell, perhaps fated to never rise again, a person- their tactician, I'm certain of it- stepped up and said to me (mockingly, perhaps), "My apologies, but everyone knows there are just those bosses you simply must gang up on. Like you."

"No, what have I... done wrong..." I gasp. Before the blackness pulled me under, I thought I heard someone say, "Thanks for all the experience! I leveled up!"

oooooooooo

Notes:  
If you couldn't guess/didn't know/want to know:

-Green haired archer: Wolt FE6, Rebecca FE7, Rolf FE9/10  
-Sage: any number of people  
-Valkyrie: any number of people  
-Green and red paladins: Lance and Allen FE6, Sain and Kent FE7, Kyle or Franz and Forde FE8, Oscar and Titania or Kieran FE9/10, ? For FE13 (anyone wanna tell me? Because IDK)  
-blue-clad lordling (male in this story. Sorry Eirika and Lyn): Roy FE6, Eliwood FE7, Ike FE9/10, Chrom FE13. Special sword: Sword of Seals, Rapier or Durandal, Regal Sword or Ragnell, Rapier or Noble Rapier or Falchion, respectively.  
-Wyvern lords: any number of people  
-Dragon girl: Fa FE6, Myrrh FE8, Ena? FE9/10, Nowi, Tiki, Nah FE13  
-swordmaster: anyone, but particularly Stefan FE9/10  
-long haired blonde healing man: Lucius FE7, Reyson? FE9/10, Raphiel? FE10, Libra FE13  
-dancer/singer: Lalum, Elphin FE6, Ninian, Nils FE7, Tethys FE8, Reyson FE9, all herons FE10, Olivia FE13  
-tactician: Mark FE7, Soren? FE9/10, Robin FE13  
-thief: Cath, Chad FE6, Matthew, Legault FE7, Colm, Rennac FE8, Volke, Sothe FE9/10, Gaius FE13


End file.
